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How to Create a Desktop Shortcut

In this second article about desktop shortcuts we will cover how to create a desktop shortcut for a file or folder on your computer and one for a web page on the Internet. In this article we will cover the following:

Create Desktop Shortcut for a File or Folder

When you use a particular file or folder a lot, placing a desktop shortcut to that file or folder on your computer desktop can save time. A desktop shortcut is also helpful for a novice computer user who might forget how to find a particular file or folder on their computer.

Creating a desktop shortcut for a file or folder requires navigating your way to the file or folder and sending a shortcut to the desktop.

Navigate to the file or folder on your computer.

If you are not sure where the program saved your file, open the program, create a new file and use the Save As function under the File menu of the program. This will show you the path to where the program saves files by default.

Generally, Microsoft products will have saved your document in the My Documents folder unless you specifically changed where you wanted the file saved. Some programs do the same, under their specific folder. Others save the files created in with their program files in the Programs folder.

Right click the file or folder.

A menu will appear.

Skim down the menu that appears and left click the Send To item on the list.

A new menu appears

Left click the Desktop (create shortcut) item on the list.

This action creates a desktop shortcut to the file or folder on your desktop.

Close or minimize all open windows.

Once you close or minimize all the open windows, your desktop appears. Look around for your new desktop shortcut. It is there, probably over on the right if you don’t have too many desktop shortcuts already.

The icon will be the program used to open the file if your shortcut is for a specific file. If the shortcut is for a folder, then the icon will look like a folder.

The name under your new file or folder shortcut will start with Shortcut to.

Pretty easy, wasn’t it. Now don’t go crazy adding a ton of shortcuts to your desktop. The desktop will become cluttered and you just might loose the time saving advantage of using desktop shortcuts.

Create Desktop Shortcut for a Web Page

If you visit or reference a web page on the Internet a lot, then you could either add the web page to your Favorites/Bookmarks or use a desktop shortcut.

Open the web page in your browser

You can practice with this web page.

Left click the File menu item in the top of the browser.

A list appears.

Left click Send.

A new list appears

Left click Shortcut to Desktop.

This action creates the shortcut on your desktop.

Close or minimize the browser window.

If you are practicing with this web page, then just minimize the browser.

Look on your desktop. There should be a new icon that resembles your browser icon for the web page you just created the shortcut for.

Saving Downloads to the Desktop

When saving downloads from the Internet, some sites will save a shortcut to your desktop

You may have done this yourself using the Save Target As feature.

The problem with saving downloads to your desktop is that it is harder to save the download to your backup. A better way to save downloads is to navigate to a folder you have created just for downloads and adding this location to your backup routine.

Desktop Shortcuts Related Posts

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I have a similar question but in reverse- windows has created a folder on my desktop called Downloads and in it seem to be every download I’ve ever used including shortcuts. Part of it has to do with opening PDF docs from websites such as Groupon and every time I attempt to open th document it saves itself again and in some string of information that doesn’t identify what it’s about, otherwise I wouldn’t have to continuously re-visit, say, Groupon to view the pfd doc. My Question: what happens if I delete all the saved downloads in the downloads file ? I realize I can eliminate duplicates, there must be a more efficient way to handle downloads- one they’re installed, are they eliminable ? Thanks !